Ashcroft bars gay pride event at Justice Dept.

Zachary Coile, Chronicle Washington Bureau

Published 4:00 am, Saturday, June 7, 2003

2003-06-07 04:00:00 PDT Washington -- Attorney General John Ashcroft ignited a new controversy over his agency's treatment of gays and lesbians Friday after he refused to allow Justice Department employees to hold an annual event celebrating "gay pride month" at the agency's headquarters.

Justice Department officials told DOJ Pride, a group of almost 200 gay and lesbian agency employees, it could not stage the event at the department's Pennsylvania Avenue building later this month because President Bush -- unlike his predecessor, former President Bill Clinton -- has not issued a proclamation designating June as gay pride month.

The decision drew immediate praise from conservative groups, who believe such events on federal property are an attempt to legitimize homosexuality.

But gay and lesbian groups and some Democratic lawmakers said Ashcroft's decision was discriminatory because other employee associations, including ethnic employee groups, are allowed to hold similar events at the agency's headquarters.

"It's shocking that the agency in charge of protecting the civil rights of all Americans is singling out one group of people for unequal treatment," said David Smith, spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay and lesbian advocacy group. "It sends a very chilling message to gay and lesbian employees that says, 'You are not welcome.' "

Conservative groups had lobbied Ashcroft to bar the gay pride event after a similar gathering was held last year in the Great Hall, at which Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson, the agency's No. 2 official, spoke to about 150 employees.

"Homosexuality is immoral and dangerous behavior, and taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize its promotion," said Sandy Rios, president of Concerned Women for America. "I am so grateful that Attorney General Ashcroft has taken a courageous step to stand against the pressure of the politically correct elite."

Critics said Ashcroft's decision appeared to undermine a pledge he made during his Senate confirmation hearings. During a Judiciary Committee hearing in January 2001, he was asked by Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., whether he would allow DOJ Pride the same access to Justice Department facilities as members of other employee groups.

Ashcroft replied: "It would be my intention not to discriminate against any group that appropriately constituted in the Department of Justice." In response to written questions from Feingold, Ashcroft later added, "I have no intent to change those policies or treat this group differently than any other. "

On Friday, Feingold released a statement calling on Ashcroft to "uphold his direct promise to me not to discriminate against gay employees and reverse the department's decision to ban DOJ Pride from holding an event in the department's headquarters."

Gay and lesbian Justice Department employees held their first pride event in 1997 and gave then-Attorney General Janet Reno a community service award. More federal agencies began hosting similar events after Clinton declared June 1999 as the first-ever Gay and Lesbian Pride Month.

The Bush administration, however, has signaled it does not back public displays supporting gays and lesbians. Though the president has issued more than 250 proclamations since taking office -- ranging from National African American History Month (February) to National Homeownership Month (June) -- he has not proclaimed a gay pride month.

White House aides have said that while the president supports the contributions of gay and lesbian federal workers, he does not believe in "politicizing people's sexual orientation."

DOJ Pride had planned a ceremony for June 18 to give an award to Lambda Legal for its work on a Texas sodomy case that is before the Supreme Court, and another award to Joseph Clark, an assistant U.S. attorney in Washington who handled the prosecution of an assault case involving a transgender man.

Marina Colby, president of DOJ Pride and a policy analyst at the department,

said the decision singles out gay and lesbian employees because African American, Hispanic, Asian American and Native American employee associations will still be allowed to hold their annual pride events.

"We want to be treated the same as other employee associations -- not special treatment, equal treatment," Colby said, who added that the event costs few, if any taxpayer dollars because the group pays for the food and entertainment.

Despite the absence of a presidential stamp of approval, several other federal agencies -- including the departments of State, Agriculture, Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency -- plan to allow gay pride month events by employees.